The traditional method of diagnosing and assessing psychological conditions involves periodic clinical sessions in which a clinician attempts to obtain insights of a patient's condition by conducting interviews and, in some cases, conducting tests. This traditional method of psychological testing and evaluation is often very lengthy and, as a result, costly. Moreover, many psychological conditions and behavior patterns are not easily diagnosed during a series of routine clinical visits because the condition or behavior is situation-dependent and, thus, may not be observable in a clinical setting. Further, the manifestations or behavior patterns of certain disorders are heterogeneous in nature, which complicates identification and diagnosis. Specifically, where a high degree of heterogeneity is present, standardized and normalized diagnostic measures intended to identify a particular or preferred regimen of therapy often do not exist. Under such conditions, the identification and diagnosis of a psychological condition or behavior pattern becomes very subjective, often resulting in an even larger number of diagnostic clinical sessions and higher costs. Lower rates of diagnostic accuracy and efficacy also result.
Many people suffering from psychological disorders are unable to obtain clinical assistance because of the high cost of diagnosis and treatment. Further, even where cost is not of a major deterrent, many people lose confidence in the clinical procedure and cease attending clinical sessions when diagnostic assessment becomes difficult and lengthy. Difficulties can be encountered even by patients that persevere. Between their periodic clinical visits, they usually are left on their own with no encouragement or treatment.
Advances in the various fields of electronics and telecommunications have had a significant impact on medical diagnostic and monitoring equipment, including the development of devices that can be used in the home or other non-clinical settings. Recent advancement with respect to self-care health monitoring of afflictions such as diabetes are set forth in my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 07/977,323, filed Nov. 17, 1992, which is entitled "MODULAR MICROPROCESSOR-BASED HEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM."
Some experiments and trials have been conducted with respect to incorporating computers and similar electronic equipment in arrangements for psychological testing and assessment that is performed in a clinical setting. Very recently, some experiments and trials have been conducted in which a patient uses a microprocessor device such as a "palm-top computer" to record behavioral information between clinical sessions and, in some cases, for limited therapeutic purposes. However, adoption of modem microprocessor and communication technology to diagnosing, monitoring or treating psychological disorders has not progressed at the same rate as technological advances in areas of medicine that relate to physiological conditions.
There are numerous reasons why microprocessors and modem communication techniques have not been widely applied to devices for psychological diagnoses, evaluation or treatment. As previously mentioned, the behavior attendant many psychological disorders is situation dependent. Thus, to be useful, a device must be relatively small, relatively easy to use and unobtrusive so that a patient or subject can use the device in an appropriate environment and is comfortable with using the device in that environment. Cost and efficacy are also important factors if use of the device is to result in a reduction in the professional time and other costs associated with diagnosis and treatment of various psychological conditions.
In order to provide a diagnostic tool that can be used in settings other than clinical sessions, other criteria should be met. For example, provision should be made for a clinician or other health care professional to easily acquire data gathered by the diagnostic tool and to analyze that data. Further, to achieve optimum utilization, the diagnostic tool should be extremely versatile, lending itself to adaptation to the assessment of various psychological conditions. Preferably, the device should be adaptable enough to allow a clinician to establish diagnostic routines suited for various species of the same general psychological disorder of even for a particular individual. Versatility sufficient for use of the device in at least limited monitoring and therapeutic procedures is also desirable.
For all of the above reasons, a need exists for improved methods and apparatus for psychological evaluation and assessment. This is especially true with disorders such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, addiction, eating disorders, attention deficit disorders, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and other psychological and behavioral problems which are highly stimulus-dependent (i.e., may be manifested primarily or only in situations that are difficult to synthesize in a clinical environment). The extreme heterogeneity of these psychological conditions has complicated diagnosis and treatment, a drawback that leaves many adults and children with chronic conditions that are handicaps both from the social and economic standpoint.
Providing reliable and accurate tests for diagnosing psychological disorders in children has been a substantial problem. In particular, prevalent childhood psychological disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder are difficult to assess because attention is a multi-construct neuropsychological process that includes sustained attention (vigilance) and selective attention (i.e., the ability to maintain attention in the presence of distractions and the ability to appropriately shift attention). Children with Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder are often impulsive, requiring a relatively high degree of motivation in order to complete tasks that employ cognitive skills appropriate to their particular age group. Moreover, current assessment tests for Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are relatively subjective, and even when effectively administered, basically provide only an evaluation of whether a child exhibits a deficit in his or her ability to focus and maintain attention. That is, current tests have been successful only in identifying a large heterogeneous group that exhibit the basic symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Little success has been obtained relative to assessing the degree of neuropsychologic mechanism impairment. Thus, current diagnostic techniques do not identify homogeneous subgroups of children having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which is needed in order to prescribe and administer effective therapy.
Developing diagnostic and therapeutic tools for psychological assessment and treatment of children is especially challenging. To obtain essential, unbiased information for diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Attention Deficit Disorder, a child being tested must be at ease and must be motivated since children with these disorders are easily distracted when faced with situations requiring continued attention and/or routine, relatively tedious tasks. Thus, if cognitive tests are employed, they must be appealing to younger children, but not leave older children bored and unmotivated to perform well. Otherwise, test results will be skewed and diagnosis made even more difficult.